Most queer bands suffer from some type of queer exceptionalism, striving to be the very best in their genre and not just “good for a gay band,” while at the same time, working hard to spread an important message about the struggles against internalized and externalized homophobia. The Cocks, on the other hand, don’t worry about any of that and just have a whole lot of fun.
The band originally started as a happy accident, when a friend of vocalist Jay Sosnicki, aka Zsa, needed an original score for a short film. They had so much fun being a joke band for a movie that they decided to be a joke band for real.
Their 2021 record, Loads of Fun, was released via Nuthing Sacred, featuring songs with titles such as “Gonna Suck Dick,” “I Love Dick,” and “It’s Better Being Gay.”
“I think one thing we need in the world right now is playfulness, you know?” Zsa muses. “I think someone who sees one of our videos might just think we are a parody act or a novelty thing. But really listen to the record; it’s good, poppy rock music.”
With influences like The Ramones, The Milk Men, and the Dickies, The Cocks marry a strong understanding of what makes catchy, accessible punk good with the hilarious ability to write endless songs on the subject of gay sex. While that is certainly a brilliant formula, Zsa also admits it’s an acquired taste.
“Don’t get me wrong; there are always a few jaws on the floor after we play a bunch of songs about sucking cocks and whatnot,” he laughs. “And I think there’s also a lot of segregation within the gay community. For example, queens generally aren’t into the kind of music we play, you know what I mean? There is definitely a drag and punk community within the LGBTQ world, and then there’s the leather crowd—the leather crowd loves us. We’re just going for more acceptance and for everyone to have a good time.”
He also feels that, since so many queer bands are—and rightly so—focused on the dark horrors facing our community, their brand of humor is needed to serve as a form of escape and education.
“I think the humor genre works well to get across to people,” he says. “My feeling is, the people who come across us, most will go, ‘What the hell is this?’ And then one out of every 10 of them is going to go, ‘That’s actually pretty cool.’ Even if it’s not your jam, you have to appreciate the artistry there and the fact that it’s fun. You have to have the light and dark; you have to have balance. You get the people who are doing the serious protest music, so you have to have the light-hearted version of that, because there are people who might react better to it or have a barrier against the serious messages. You have to get it under the gun; under the radar.”
Keep following The Cocks this year for more music and adventures, including Monkees-style mini-series, to be called WE ARE THE COCKS. The show will take place with the guys living in an apartment, being gay, and trying to make it in rock ‘n’ roll. The world definitely needs more Cocks, and it’s going to get them.
Watch the video for “It’s Better Being Gay” here:
For more from The Cocks, find them on Facebook, Instagram, and Spotify.
Photo courtesy of Somric Castro
